Close to 3,500 people turned up on Tuesday to register a position on a the measure — which would ban abortion after 20 weeks and that critics say contains regulations that could force most abortion providers out of business — and more than 1,100 registered to testify, spilling into multiple overflow rooms in the state Capitol building in Austin, according to The Associated Press.

“In terms of witnesses, the system has never seen overload like this,” said state Rep. Helen Giddings, the vice chairwoman of the House State Affairs Committee.

In the end, fewer than 100 were able to testify, as the committee limited testimony to eight hours, according to the AP.

House State Affairs Committee Chairman Byron Cook said the committee had taken plenty of testimony, over objections from Houston Democratic Rep. Sylvester Turner. Cook also refused to let Turner offer amendments, saying he could bring them up on the House floor, the AP reported.

It’s the second time in the past week in which legislating in the state Capitol has come under national scrutiny as lawmakers are expected to debate abortion policy until late into the evening.

On Tuesday, the committee was hearing public testimony on a restrictive abortion measure that was derailed in the Texas Senate last week by a 13-hour filibuster led by state Sen. Wendy Davis. Texas Gov. Rick Perry called for another special session to reconsider the bill, among other issues, and that session kicked off Monday afternoon.

The committee heard public testimony until around midnight. Reports Tuesday evening indicated that 11 overflow rooms were procured for activists.

Davis on Rachel Maddow’s MSNBC show on Tuesday night praised the supporters who turned up en masse.

“Thousands of people showed up at the Capitol today to testify and to observe the testimony. I expect that we’ll see that same sort of turnout when the bill is heard in Senate committee hearing, which is going to take place on Monday morning, is my understanding,” Davis said. “And we expect or hope that their voices will add in a way that makes a difference in the way some of these lawmakers are considering this bill.”

Davis also said that if the bill is passed, opponents of the measure will take their fight to the courts.

“If Democratic leaders are not able to stop passage of this bill, I would be shocked if it weren’t immediately followed with some sort of a suit to enjoin its enforcement, based on it intruding upon the constitutionally guaranteed liberties that exist in this country,” Davis said.